For many, failing is never an option. For musician Ronnie Odyuo, failure is an option. Not that she invites it herself. But she realizes that it looms around inevitably and she had learnt to accept it when it comes. The cognizance of this has been life-changing. So with that tough lesson out of the way, she can now easily focus on building success, not fearing the fleeting nature of failing. In a few days she’ll be standing on the stage at India International Centre’s annual festival, The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts, representing the North East region where she’s from, singing to hundreds of people on October 28. This is huge for her as there was a time when she was her only audience. “I would sing to myself endlessly. It was the only activity I put my heart and soul. I’ve found a sweet escape,” she says.
In collaboration with the North East Council, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, this festival is a creative effort to promote the culture of all NE States through performance, art and food.
In the middle of it all is Ronnie, who with her band called Ronnie the Band, will set the musical score with Jazz, Funk, R and B and Blues. Her band members, more like friends, namely Lijanroni Odyuo (vocals and keyboard), Meyasunep Imchen (bass), Bendangwati Longkumer (percussion), and Mhaseve Tetseo (guitar) will texturize the set.
Some of the songs they will cover include Hiatus Kaiyote Cure, and Running Away, along with common jazz standards like Cry Me a River, My Funny Valentine, in addition to originals and covers from bands and artists. “Many of the songs by Jazz singer Dianne Reeves, including Loving You, Smile, and Just My Imagination, have played a huge part in my singing. I’ve learnt a lot from her just by listening to her, the way she improvises cover songs and makes them her own,” says Odyuo, who is a vocalist herself. She is also a keyboardist.
Growing up was fairly simple for her. In Dimapur, Nagaland, where she is from, there was a dearth of places for youngsters to have fun. Music bars were out of the questions. There was one family restaurant called Plaza where her family and she would go on special occasions. “The fondest memory of my childhood is when my grandparents would come over every weekend from Kohima for family get-togethers,” she says.
It was in 2014 that she formed a band with one of the present troop members named Imchen. It was called Washburn. As teenagers, they were influenced by the Punk Rock bands. They would sing covers like Crazy by Simple Plan, In Too Deep by Sum41 etc. “We composed depressing dark songs because we thought that was cool, which is funny,” he says,” adding, “Like almost every Naga, I too bought random cassettes and would listen to songs on repeat. That’s how many Nagas started playing instruments, simply by listening to a song over and over again. We didn’t know about ear training, music theory or fancy musical terms.”
At age seven, she went to Bishop Cotton Girls School, Bengaluru. Her high school years were spent in Bangalore International School and Grade 11 and 12 in Delhi Public School Dimapur. Finally, she studied vocal performance at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, Chennai. She’s tasted her share of success but until she’s able to be fully humble and loving, she cannot call herself successful. “Musically good things have happened, but I want to be remembered as great person too,” she says. On till October 31, at 6.30 pm, IIC, Lodi Estate.